Administrative fee or strong-arm shakedown?

EXPRESS-TIMES PHOTO | COLIN MCEVOYAll that trash has to go somewhere. But at least one Downtown merchant wonders what she's paying for.

When I met Randi Kaplan DellaVechia a couple of years ago, she wasn't sure what might become of her family business.

Parts of Easton were submerged in the flood of June 2006, and muddy water from the mighty Delaware was creeping up the basement walls of Kaplan's Enterprises, the awning business on the Easton side of the free bridge.

DellaVechia weathered the storm -- and even in the most trying of times, when her family livelihood stood in jeopardy -- managed a smile during a break moving furniture, supplies and inventory to higher ground.

It seems like Randi's madder than a hornet now, and not because of any natural disaster. No, the city has her fired up over a $25 administrative fee for services not provided.

She explains in the following e-mail, which captures a frustration absent the day her future almost floated down to Trenton:

I just got off the phone with Lisa from City Hall.You see, I sent a note with my last utility bill payment because I was erroneously billed $25 for "refuse." Last year, the city decreed I had to find my own source for refuse collection, which I did -- Waste Management -- because (the city) was no longer offering the service to businesses like mine.I was told to send in a copy of my contract, and that I had to pay a "one-time administrative fee" of $25 to make sure our garage was being taken care of, which I did.I didn't like it last year, but I reluctantly paid it.This year, the invoice specifically listed a $25 charge as "refuse" -- not consulting or administrative fee. Literally, "REFUSE."To me, I was being billed for garbage collection, just like I was in the past. As a matter of fact, it looked just like the bill from a few years ago, when the city did collect my garbage. Lisa tried to say this was just another administrative fee, and we would be billed it every single year (until Armageddon)? to make sure we had made arrangements for our garbage to be collected by someone else. So I have to pay the city $25 every year to do absolutely nothing - excuse me - to make sure I am paying someone else to collect my garbage. What a scam.And, Lisa informed me - if I refuse to pay it, I will be cited and fined. So I will be fined for refusing to pay the city for something it didn't do.Does this sound like a mob strong-arm shakedown?Look at this from a local business point of view. I have to pay the city $25 for management services because they are doing nothing about my garbage. Why would you pay money for services you don't receive?That is a waste of money - unless you are the city and are benefiting from this money.Think about this. We offer our awning customers the option of storing their awnings at their home, or, for a fee, we will store them at our facility. So, if you were my customer, how would you feel if I sent you a bill for $15 to not store your awnings at my facility? It's an administrative fee to make sure it was being taken care of. Sounds pretty stupid, right? I will bill my customer for something they are doing themselves, just like the city.Can I cite and fine my customers if they refuse to pay the fee? Do you think any of my customers would pay it?Of course not.The next time the city doesn't place an order with me, can I bill them $25 and call it an "administrative fee" to make sure it is buying something from someone else? Can I ask for a copy of the contract too - to make sure it is legitimate?Pray tell, what other services will the city bill the Downtown merchants an additional "administrative fee" to not perform?Just so we can be prepared.

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